"Kooks, Inc." -
We’re a crew of kooks with a two-part mission: crafting slightly above average fermented liquid, and getting dropped-in on knee high waves.
In our highly-desired and abnormally smelly pocket of Santa Cruz, where the streets are paved and then re-paved with sticky substances dripping from year-round recreational vehicles, we’re focused on blending Santa Cruz’s kooky underbelly of tourist traps with underwhelming label art on sometimes-award-winning beer.
But since we’re easily distracted, we decided to elevate this mediocre assortment of squiggles to the unapproachable reaches of “high art” in hopes of impressing our high school football coach.
Here, amidst the effervescent hues and bold strokes of this refined gallery, we present the visuals that can be described in no other way than 'soft-top casual'*.
Luv,
Humble Sea
*We’d like to thank Costco for providing the foam surfboards on which we kneel. They're the easiest boards to safely transport in our Priuses.
About Humble Sea
Humble Sea Brewing Co. is an art-driven brewery from Santa Cruz, started by a few kooks from the redwoods. It has been named 'California’s Next Beer Darling' by SF Gate, listed as a Top 10 Brewery in the U.S. by Hop Culture Magazine, and won Best Beer in California in 2021.
About The Artist - Juan Llorens
Juan Llorens creates art that’s rich in symbolism and detail, using vivid colors and impeccable craftsmanship. In his work, he explores deep questions about life, inner struggles, and our relationship with the world around us. He designs images that make you think, acting like mirrors that reflect different aspects of what it means to be human. His goal is to make you question your own reality.
He uses bold and vibrant colors to stir emotions and bring intensity to his work, often shining a light on darker themes. The colors are carefully chosen to highlight the key messages of each piece, making sure they grab the viewer’s attention.
What’s especially interesting about Llorens’ art is how it plays with your perception. At first glance, his characters might seem friendly and relatable because of our own past visual experiences. But look a little closer, and they transform into complex figures that throw you off balance, mixing innocence with a darker, mysterious vibe.
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Born in 1981 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Juan Llorens lives and works in the same vibrant city. He holds a degree in Graphic Design from the University of Buenos Aires and is also an illustrator. Although he showed an interest in the arts from a young age, it wasn’t until 2015 that he took a painting workshop with Paula Duró, marking his first formal introduction to the technique. Fast-forward to 2020, Llorens began to independently and intuitively develop a body of work. By 2022, he decided to go professional, enrolling in an art clinic taught by the artist Tulio de Sagastizábal. That same year, he participated in Presencial, a group exhibition at Estudio Guerrero in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Currently, he’s sharpening his skills in another art clinic, this time led by artist and educator Leila Tschopp, also based in Buenos Aires.
